1 PROVERB Absence makes the heart grow fonder

MEANING Being away from someone or something for a period of time makes you
appreciate that person or thing more when you see them or it again

EXAMPLE I used to hate going to my aunts house, but now I kind of miss it. Absence
makes the heart grow fonder.

2 PROVERB Actions speak louder than words.

MEANING What you do is more important than what you say

EXAMPLE Dont just tell me youre going to change. Do it! Actions speak louder than
words.

3 PROVERB A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

MEANING You must begin something if you hope to finish it; something that takes a long
time to finish begins with one step

EXAMPLE If you want to lose weight, you need to stop eating junk, and you need to start
exercising. Today. Not tomorrow. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step.

4 PROVERB All good things must come to an end

MEANING Everything ends; good times dont last forever

EXAMPLE I wish this vacation would go on forever. Its too bad that all good things must
come to an end.

5 PROVERB A picture is worth a thousand words

MEANING An image can tell a story better than words

EXAMPLE I wasnt sure that he loved her, but then I saw them hugging at the airport. A
picture is worth a thousand words.

6 PROVERB A watched pot never boils

MEANING If something takes time to do, it doesnt help to constantly check on it. You just
have to give it time.
 EXAMPLE I know you think hes going to be a great guitar player one day, but stop
criticizing him so much. He just started taking lessons two weeks ago! A watched
pot never boils.

7 PROVERB Beggars cant be choosers

MEANING If youre in a bad situation and someone offers to help you, you have to take
whatever they give you and shouldnt ask for more

EXAMPLE I was unemployed, and they offered me a job cleaning prison toilets. I didnt
like the job, but I accepted it. Beggars cant be choosers.

8 PROVERB Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

MEANING What is beautiful is different for each person

EXAMPLE I think their house is ugly, but they seem to like it. Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder.

9 PROVERB Better late than never

MEANING Its better to finish something late than to never do it at all

EXAMPLE Hello, Mr. Jameson. Here is my final essay. Better late than never, right?

10 PROVERB Birds of a feather flock together

MEANING People who are similar spend time together

EXAMPLE I think we all started hanging out because we all liked anime. Birds of a feather
flock together.

11 PROVERB Cleanliness is next to godliness

MEANING Its good to be clean. God is clean, and you should be too.

EXAMPLE Go take a shower before your date. You know what they say; cleanliness is next
to godliness.

12 PROVERB Dont bite the hand that feeds you

MEANING Dont make someone angry or hurt someone who is helping you or paying for
you
 EXAMPLE You had a fight with your boss? Are you stupid? Dont bite the hand that feeds
you.

13 PROVERB Dont count your chickens before they hatch.

MEANING Dont expect a positive result before you actually see it

EXAMPLE A: This idea is going to make me millions of dollars!

B: Whoa. Lets slow down. Dont count your chickens before they hatch.

14 PROVERB Dont judge a book by its cover

MEANING Dont judge someone or something by appearance alone

EXAMPLE Racism is still a problem today, and it will continue to be that way until we learn
not to judge a book by its cover.

15 PROVERB Dont put all of your eggs in one basket

MEANING Dont put all of your hopes and resources into one goal or dream

EXAMPLE I know you really want to be an actor, but dont you think youre being
financially irresponsible? Dont put all of your eggs in one basket.

16 PROVERB Dont put off until tomorrow what you can do today

MEANING If you can do something today, do it. Dont wait until tomorrow; dont
procrastinate.

EXAMPLE You have 6 hours of free time now. You should start on that final psychology
assignment. Dont put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

17 PROVERB Dont put too many irons in the fire

MEANING Dont try to do too many things at the same time; focus on one thing at a time

EXAMPLE No wonder youre exhausted. Youre trying to work 4 jobs at the same time!
You have too many irons in the fire right now.

18 PROVERB Easy come, easy go

MEANING When you make money quickly, its very easy to lose it quickly as well
 EXAMPLE I won $200 at the casino, and then I spent it on a very expensive meal for me
and some friends. Easy come, easy go.

19 PROVERB Fortune favors the bold

MEANING People who are brave and who take risks are more successful than people who
are do things safely all the time

EXAMPLE Its a risk, but the reward could be great. I say you go for it. Fortune favors the
bold.

20 PROVERB God helps those who help themselves

MEANING Dont just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard to make them
happen

EXAMPLE If you want a better life, you cant just sit on your butt thinking about it. You
have to work to make it happen. God helps those who help themselves.

21 PROVERB Good things come to those who wait

MEANING If you are patient, good things can happen

EXAMPLE I know youre hungry, but stop being so impatient. We just ordered our food.
Good things come to those who wait.

22 PROVERB Honesty is the best policy

MEANING Its always better to tell the truth than it is to lie

EXAMPLE If you want people to trust you, you need to be honest with them. Honesty is
the best policy.

23 PROVERB Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

MEANING In any situation, be optimistic about the result, but always be ready for the worst
outcome

EXAMPLE Were going on vacation next week. Its supposed to rain a lot, so were bringing
our umbrellas and a bunch of board games. Hope for the best, prepare for the
worst.
24 PROVERB If it aint broke, dont fix it

MEANING If something is already working well, dont try to change it or improve it

EXAMPLE Why are you trying to upgrade your PC again? It was working fine before. If it
aint broke, dont fix it.

25 PROVERB If you cant beat em, join em

MEANING If you cant change someones behavior or opinion, sometimes its better or
easier to do what they want to do

EXAMPLE I told Mark that we needed to study, but he kept playing video games.
Eventually I gave up and just played video games too. If you cant beat em, join
em.

26 PROVERB If you play with fire, youll get burned

MEANING If you get involved in something dangerous or beyond your abilities, you will
probably experience negative consequences

EXAMPLE Dont make him angry. If you play with fire, youll get burned.

27 PROVERB If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself

MEANING Dont depend on someone else to do a good job; do it yourself

EXAMPLE I asked my roommate to wash the dishes, but they ended up super filthy! I
guess its true what they say: if you want something done right, you have to do it
yourself.

28 PROVERB Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer

MEANING If someone is your enemy, treat them like a friend so you can be ready if they
ever try to betray you

EXAMPLE We dont trust each other, but we have to be nice to each other because we
work for the same company. Im worried about him stealing my promotion, so
Im going to keep being nice to him. Keep your friends close, but your enemies
closer, and all that.

29 PROVERB Knowledge is power

MEANING The more you know, the more powerful you can be in different areas of your life
 EXAMPLE When we were kids, our parents taught us how to swim. That knowledge
helped me to save my cousins life when he was 5 years old. Knowledge is
power.

30 PROVERB Laughter is the best medicine.

MEANING When youre in a difficult situation, laughing can make it easier to get through
that situation

EXAMPLE Im sorry to hear about your dog. Want to watch a funny movie? Sometimes,
laughter is the best medicine.

31 PROVERB Like father, like son

MEANING Said when a son is similar to his father; also, Like mother, like daughter

EXAMPLE Ryan started playing hockey at a very young age. Hes just like his dad. Like
father, like son.

32 PROVERB No man is an island

MEANING No one is truly capable of living alone. We need human connection to be healthy

EXAMPLE You cant just abandon your friends and family. No man is an island.

33 PROVERB People who live in glass houses should not throw stones

MEANING Dont criticize someone if youre not perfect either; dont be a hyprocrite

EXAMPLE Why are you always bothering her about being addicted to her phone? Youve
been smoking for 20 years and havent been able to give it up. People who live
in glass houses should not throw stones.

34 PROVERB Practice makes perfect

MEANING The more you do something, the better you will become at it

EXAMPLE Dont give up on learning the violin. Practice makes perfect.

35 PROVERB The early bird gets the worm

MEANING People who wake up early or who get to places early have a better chance of
success
 EXAMPLE I got to the ticket office before anyone else. I got front row seats to the show!
The early bird gets the worm.

36 PROVERB The enemy of my enemy is my friend

MEANING If someone whom I dont like doesnt like someone else whom I dont like, we
can act like friends and unite against the other person (common in war)

EXAMPLE I dont like you, you dont like me. But I think we can agree that we both HATE
Daniel. Lets work together and get him fired! The enemy of my enemy is my
friend, right?

37 PROVERB The grass is always greener on the other side

MEANING People always want what they dont have

EXAMPLE A: Im jealous of all the free time my single friends have.

B: Yeah, but your friends are probably jealous of you too in some ways. The
grass is always greener on the other side.

38 PROVERB The pen is mightier than the sword

MEANING If youre trying to convince someone of something, words and ideas are stronger
than using physical force (common in politics)

EXAMPLE We must avoid this war and use diplomacy to solve our problems. The pen is
mightier than the sword.

39 PROVERB There is no place like home

MEANING Your home is the most comfortable place in the world

EXAMPLE What a tiring vacation! Im glad to be back in my own bed again. Theres no
place like home.

40 PROVERB There is no such thing as a free lunch.

MEANING Nothing is free. Even the things that are free have a hidden cost

EXAMPLE His bank gave him $50 for free, but he had to commit to opening a credit card
account. Theres no such thing as a free lunch.
41 PROVERB There is no time like the present

MEANING Dont wait to do something. Do it now.

EXAMPLE Why dont you stop talking about needing to call your mom? Just CALL her!
There is no time like the present.

42 PROVERB The squeaky wheel gets the grease

MEANING The person who complains in a situation is more likely to get something.

EXAMPLE A: I just dont understand why shes received so many promotions, and Im still
at the bottom of the company!
B: She complains a lot. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

43 PROVERB Time is money

MEANING Dont waste your time or other peoples time; also, if you can use your time to
make money in some way, you should do that.

EXAMPLE Hurry up! Time is money!

44 PROVERB Two heads are better than one

MEANING Its easier to do something as a team than by yourself

EXAMPLE Im stuck on this project. Can you help me out? Two heads are better than one.

45 PROVERB Two wrongs dont make a right

MEANING Trying to get revenge on someone who has hurt you will only make things worse

EXAMPLE I know she made you angry, but did you have to steal her phone? Two wrongs
dont make a right.

46 PROVERB When in Rome, do as the Romans do

MEANING When you are in a new place or situation, try to act like the majority of people in
that place or situation.

EXAMPLE A: Youve been eating a lot of bread and cheese on this Paris vacation.
B: Hey, when in Rome.
47 PROVERB When the going gets tough, the tough get going

MEANING When a situation becomes difficult, strong people dont give up; they work
harder

EXAMPLE My great grandfather survived the Great Depression. You know the phrase,
when the going gets tough, the tough get going? That was my great
grandfather.

48 PROVERB Where theres smoke, theres fire

MEANING If something seems wrong, it probably is; also, there is usually some truth to a
rumor

EXAMPLE Matilda came to school with a black eye today. She cried when I asked her
about it after class and didnt want to say anything about her parents. I dont
want to speculate too much, but where theres smoke, theres usually fire.

49 PROVERB You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink it

MEANING You can try to help someone by giving good advice, but you cant force them to
accept it or follow it

EXAMPLE She tried to help her brother find a job by improving his resume, but he didnt
do anything with it. I guess you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make
him drink it.

50 PROVERB You cant always get what you want

MEANING Dont complain if you dont get what you want

EXAMPLE A: I really wanted to see that movie, but I didnt have enough money last week
B: It happens. You cant always get what you want, right?